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Gavri Festival of Mewar Bhils: A Powerful Celebration of Tribal Identity and Unity
Gavri of the Mewar Bhils: Inspiring Ritual of Faith and Social Rebellion
Context: Every year, the Bhil community of Mewar observes Gavri, a 40-day ritual of dance-dramas and ceremonies across Rajasthan’s villages to honour Gorkhiya Mata. In 2025, this centuries-old tradition gained wider visibility through a photo exhibition at the India International Centre, New Delhi.
What is Gavri and which community performs it?
- Gavri (or Gavari) is a 40-day annual tribal festival celebrated by the Bhil community, one of India’s largest Adivasi tribes, primarily in the Mewar region of southern Rajasthan—notably in Udaipur, Banswara, and Dungarpur districts.
- It is a non-commercial religious folk ritual involving dance-dramas (khels), music, and ceremonies performed after Raksha Bandhan, as a tribute to Goddess Gauri (Parvati).
- Bhil troupes travel to villages, especially those where their married sisters and daughters reside, to perform rituals and plays.
- This ritual is considered a spiritual offering by the Bhils to seek divine protection from natural calamities, epidemics, and droughts, and to pray for the prosperity of all beings.
Why is Gavri significant in the socio-cultural and religious life of the Bhils?
- Religious Significance: Bhils consider themselves descendants of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. Gavri is their homage to Parvati, seen as a divine sister figure.
- Spiritual Belief: The ritual aims at the welfare of the entire ecosystem and society, rooted in the tribal ethos of ‘Sarvajan Hitay’ (for the benefit of all).
- Non-materialistic Devotion: Performers, known as khelyas, engage in the festival out of faith, not for monetary gain, symbolising community service and devotion.
Who participates and how are performances structured?
- Performers: Only male members of the Bhil community participate. Women do not perform due to patriarchal norms; instead, men also enact female roles, showcasing temporary gender fluidity during the ritual.
- Performance Structure:
- Plays (khels) based on mythology, folklore, ecology, and resistance history.
- Rituals invoking Gorkhiya Mata and Goddess Gauri.
- Use of songs, masks, dance, and symbolic acts.
- Example Plays:
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- Badliya Hindwa: Celebrates Bhil reverence for nature.
- Bhilurana: Dramatises Bhil resistance to Mughal and British invaders.
Why is Gavri considered a subversion of caste and class structures?
- Caste hierarchies are suspended — Bhils, often ostracised as “untouchables”, are treated as gods during performances.
- Authority figures (including kings and even deities) are mocked through satire and parody, showcasing folk resistance and democratic expression.
- Post-festival, however, social hierarchies reassert themselves — a reminder of the temporary inversion of social norms.
